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Overnight tunnel closures for vital safety improvements
OVERNIGHT
closures will come into force in the Queensway Tunnel, from
Liverpool to Birkenhead, as part of a series of vital safety
improvement works. The works are part of Merseytravel’s
£7million investment in extra emergency escapes within the Queensway
Tunnel.
Nearing completion, the major project will bring safety and security
measures within the 2.23mile tunnel up to tough European safety
standards.
A Merseytravel spokesperson said:- “Rigorous safety
legislation is coming in across Europe. Although it doesn’t apply to
Mersey Tunnels, safety is a paramount concern, and this investment
will help Mersey Tunnels meet these new international safety
standards. We are nearing completion of the emergency escapes so
these will be some of the last overnight closures linked to this
work.”
The closures, on Lanes A and B, will mean that during the hours of
7.30pm and 6.30am on weekdays during the closure period, the tunnel
will be closed to all traffic from Liverpool to Birkenhead.
The closures will operate as follows:-
• 7.30pm on Monday 12 Sept. until 6.30am on Tuesday 13 September
• 7.30pm on Tuesday 13 Sept. until 6.30am on Wednesday 14 September
• 7.30pm on Wednesday 14 Sept. until 6.30am on Thursday 15 September
• 7.30pm on Thursday 15 Sept. until 6.30am on Friday 16 September
• 7.30pm on Friday 16 Sept. until 6.30am on Saturday 17 September
The Birkenhead to Liverpool lanes will be open as normal, as will
the Kingsway (Wallasey) Tunnel.
People are being urged to allow extra time for their journeys.
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LOCAL COMPANIES OFFER A HELPING HAND TO SAMARITANS
A number of local
companies have worked together to provide and install a new heating
and hot water system in the Samaritans office in Warrington.
Sentinel, Caradon Ideal, Stelrad, PSP and Plumb Centre have all
supplied the necessary products and materials while Stockton Heath
Plumbing and Heating installed the system – all free of charge.
Sentinel Sales Manager John Lynch explained:- “The Samaritans
needed a new heating system at the office as their boiler was very
old and their gas fires had been out of action for many years. They
were relying on electric radiators which were both costly to run and
inefficient and we wanted to do something to help so we called a few
of our contacts to see if they would also like to get involved. We
were really pleased with the positive response we received from all
of them and delighted to make this gesture of support to a valuable
service in our area.”
Lynn Parish, Director of the local Samaritans branch, said:-
“All the volunteers were touched by the level of support these
companies have shown us. Our branch covers Warrington, St Helens and
Halton and we provide a listening ear to more than 400 people a week
– it costs around £50 - £60 per day to run the service and we rely
purely on fundraising and private donations to keep us going so we
are extremely grateful for their help. Our new heating system is far
more efficient so we’ll be saving money on our fuel bills which we
can utilise elsewhere.”
But the new system is not just helping them save money, as Lynn
explains:- "Much of the work we carry out is by telephone but
we also deal with some people face to face and it’s important to
provide a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere for them. The office is
now a warmer and more inviting place and this all helps create a
more conducive environment within which they can talk openly and
confidentially to us.”
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